Manchester United Transfer News: United Don't Want Gareth Bale, Latest Rumours

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has reportedly contacted former club Real Madrid to tell Los Blancos he doesn't want to bring Gareth Bale to Old Trafford.

Mourinho is said to have made it clear to Real president Florentino Perez that he doesn't want to sign Bale despite ongoing links between United and the Wales international.

Spanish source Diario Gol reported how "Mourinho has now become sceptical of Bale's fitness [which] has put him off making a move" (h/t Lee Astley of The Sun). Significantly, Astley also noted how Perez and Real are still keen on offloading Bale.

However, those suggestions are in contrast to those of Sky Sports La Liga analyst Guillem Balague, who told Sky Sports News that Perez wants Bale to stay: "Now Perez insists that he is here to stay and he wants him to stay. So do his representatives."

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It makes sense for Perez to want to keep Bale since the 28-year-old is a lethal attacking force when healthy. His pace, strength, shooting power and aerial prowess can undermine any defence.

Bale's movement and versatility makes Los Merengues' forward line almost unstoppable when he's paired with the prolific Cristiano Ronaldo.

Even so, it's also understandable for United to be hesitant to make a move for a forward whose signing would likely break the club's transfer record, which stands at £89.3 million. This is despite Diario Gol's recent report saying the Reds would "launch a stunning move" for Bale (h/t Gary Stonehouse of The Sun).

Bale cost Real a then-world-record £85.3 million when he moved to the Spanish capital from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013. It stands to reason Los Blancos would demand significantly more than what they paid for Bale despite his well-documented injury problems during his five seasons in Spain.

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After all, the Welshman has still managed to win the Copa del Rey, La Liga and a hat-trick of UEFA Champions Leagues.

Bale would be worth a big fee for United or any top club in Europe. He has the ability to get goals in bunches and prove the difference in any game.

Yet United already have star potential in wide areas thanks to Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford. Martial, still just 21, has proved a keen creator when given a chance, as Squawka Football demonstrated:

Meanwhile, the 19-year-old Rashford has scored seven goals and provided three assists across all competitions this season, per WhoScored.com. The England international is beginning to become more of a fixture in Mourinho's first-team plans.

Letting Martial and Rashford realise their undoubted potential would be a smarter move for United than spending big on an attacker as brittle as Bale.